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bengeeee
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Posts posted by bengeeee
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Yep... everything is doing great btw. They will all eventually go in my new build.
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Ok once I get the 180 that is currently in the way out of the way I'll take a few shots and place them in the new build thread.
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I might take you up on that if I'm ever out your way thanks.
If you want to see a 6' tank under evergrows, you're welcome to stop by. IMO you can't beat the price for what you get.
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Welcome,AND i love aquascaping.
Also do drywall and remodeling , keep me posted if you ever need help or anythin'
Thanks I definitely will. Any thoughts on incorporating a bar into it? I was thinking of a simple but clean cherry, oak, or koa bar that extends a foot or so from the wall. I'm fine with the bar being level with the tank (so I can maybe incorporate the bar top into the tank top). I'd prefer not to have supports underneath but if I can make it look clean I wouldn't be too opposed to it. The wall I have to install on is about 7 feet long.
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Thanks everyone for the welcome, and for reading my long intro. Looking back on that I'm surprised anyone got past the first paragraph lol. Btw I meant the Avast QR meet not ERC. Hopefully I remember that and don't drive to the wrong store lol.
ben! so glad you were able to post up an intro thread, an official welcome, haha!
it's just so much money to buy new even with their temporary deal @ $150 off now. there is a guy on R2R selling them at $685 that i think i pm'd you about but not sure as it was from my phone (http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/selling-forum-dry-goods/133233-fs-ecotech-radion-pros.html) but i see that you did buy them already and perhaps you can spend that money much somewhere else. but like i tell some folks that ask me about lights, if you have your heart set on the AIs, radions, whatever light it is, then you should likely go with it because that is the only light that will really make them happy.
nonetheless, awesome meeting you and i know once you get your build thread up it will be epic. this will be a great build to follow!
Thanks Marcos. Of course I bought my lights for around 775 each shipped a few days before they dropped the price ... that's annoying! I guess I lost 50 over all already seeing as how you can probably get them shipped free when you spend 1500 on two lights lol. I'm going to give that for sale add you posted some thought as I may want another one. I saw the radion pros on Miggs76's tank and fell in love with them but I am open to other lights as well. Fortunately, even if I keep these I have lots of other tanks to light so I'm going to seriously consider the evergrows. I saw one on Alans fuge and it looked great. Very similar if not the same exterior as my Tao Tronics lights. Makes me wonder if Tao Tronics and Ever grow might somehow be connected or at least use the same housings.
I had my doubts about the d120s, because they are so cheap, but they really perform well and, I'm sad to admit that the tanks I have seen under them look better than my carefully designed DIY fixture that I probable spent almost a grand on all told.
I have also seen one tank under the Maxspect Razor and thought it looked really amazing as well.
Now come get these pods I have sitting in bags for you before they all escape. I pmd my address.Yeah I agree that light looked great. Cool that you can customize the led color as well. Pods are in the tank and doing great. Thanks again for the chaeto as well.
Ben
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Hey everyone,
I've been on the board for a few weeks now but haven't taken the opportunity to really introduce myself. I live in Gaithersburg, MD and I've been in the saltwater hobby for about 10 years now. To my own disappointment, I am only just now discovering this site. I'd heard of WAMAS but never really took the time to figure out what it was all about. I always went to RC for questions and Craigslist for used equipment. What an idiot I was! RC is great but I love the local nature of WAMAS. You might have seen me buying up a bunch of equipment in the for sale adds in the past few weeks. Not only have I saved hundreds, but everything is relatively local and generally better priced than CL. Thanks to Miggs76 for encouraging me to join here, Monkiboy for all the free and fairly priced equipment/live stock, Swimmate for the advice, and everyone else who has helped me here and there like AlanM with his Pod GB and everyone involved in the Avast GB as well as the ERC Jebao GB. Now that I'm done with my Emmy Award Nomination like thank you speech, a little about my plans.
I fully intend on creating a dedicated build thread but I'm not quite ready yet so here's a preemptive look. No pictures yet, I'll save those for the build thread:
Existing installed equipment / Tanks:
FWIW I try to use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt in all my tanks. I find it is one of the better salts that I’ve tried over the years. It does leave some deposits in my mixing station, but I've experienced that with all the salts I've tried over the years.
1). 180 Oceanic Display dual corner overflow w/ 40g sump, Appx 200 lbs LR, UV sterilizer, ASM G3 skimmer, Reef Keeper Elite Net w/ 4 pc4s, 3 * Koralias set as wavemakers, 3 Tao Tronics LEDs, JBJ ATO, 6 Stage 75GPD TheFilterGuys Reef RODI w/ 90 gallon mixing station. Livestock is slim right now. 1 6inch Yellow Tang, 1 6 inch Desjardini Sailfin Tang, 1 6 inch Emperor Angel Fish, and 1 5-6 inch Lunare Wrasse. I have had SPS in this tank in the past, but lost it all to STN from the base up. At least that's what I thought it was, I now suspect I have a single SPS eating snail that has somehow survived in my system for years. I saw him creeping away from a single surviving piece of SPS a few hours before the lights came on the other day. He is a fast moving snail and very elusive. Time to set a trap or plan a late night stake out!
2). Red Sea Max 250 (65g All in one Reef Tank) w/ Appx 70 lbs LR. This is a beautiful tank, but I have experienced a Majano explosion that has really left me frustrated. I've tried everything from Aiptasia X, Peppermints, and kalk paste but nothing works. These little monsters seem ten times stronger than Aiptasia. I am now resorting to a Raccoon Butterfly which I know will do the job. Besides several hundred majanos, here is an off the top of my head list of live stock:
watchman goby / pistol shrimp pair
coral beauty angel
Gold Stripe Maroon Clown (Female that recently lost her mate... sad story, he got his cheek spines stuck in a rock and she tried to pull him out but ripped him up in the process... I am in the market for a replacement male).
2 blue green chromis courtesy of Monkiboy
1 Strawberry basslet (love this fish)
harlequin starfish (8 years and still kicking)
Misc red/blue/black and white leg hermits
assorted snails
Kenya Trees
probably forgetting something...
The tank itself will likely be for sale once I get rid of the majanos and it is in order. PM if interested.
3). 46 Gallon Bowfront w/ 30g sump and appx 80 lbs LR (probably too much) and T5 lighting w/ nautilus skimmer and HOT magnum running carbon/mechanical. This tank was formerly my quarantine, but I found a great deal on CL a month or so ago and had to jump on it. Tons of life on the LR. Running it barebottom right now and will eventually return it to its former quarantine status.
Off the top of my head for live stock. I know it's a little packed but this is only temporary:
1 blue damselfish
2 three stripe damselfish
1 large coral beauty
6 line wrasse that plays nice with everyone
mandarin goby (additional pods enroute). Not sure about sex of specimen but it's beautiful and looks fat after a month in my system
2 Turbos that love to knock over my corals
Several types of SPS i.e. stylopora sp?, montipora encrusting/plating, birdsnest,
Nice RBTA again courtesy of Monkiboy
Beautiful Tyree Toadstool courtesy of Miggs76
assorted other snails/hermits
Tons of sponges and encrusting SPS
Probably some things I'm forgetting
I know many of you can relate, but working multiple jobs and attending school full time for the past 10 years hasn’t left nearly enough time or funds to support my reefing addiction. Well I’ve finally completed my degree and am somewhat settled in with work, so It’s time to get serious again and proceed with a new In wall build.
I plan to install a 90 – 150 gallon aquarium in a wall in my basement. I’d like to also install a small bar beneath it for aesthetics and general viewing / socializing with friends and family. I plan to link the 180, new tank, a 40 gallon breeder, and 2 20 gallon tanks as well. The wall I’m installing in has a closet behind it, so I’ll be prepping this for the install over the next few weeks.
So far I have all the tanks either up and running or ready to install except for the in wall display. I recently aquired a 150g Rubbermaid stock tank which I intend to use as a centralized sump. I may keep a seperate frag tank isolated from this build If I decide to have one. I have the additional equipment ready to go, being picked up at the Avast / ERC GB on the 5th, or in the mail:
2 XR30W Radion Pro LEDs. 1 arrived yesterday and the other is in the mail. Monkiboy is trying to talk me into selling these and going with Evergrows. Thoughts?
1 ASM G4X skimmer w/ Sedra 9000 pump. I plan to do the impeller mod and additionally feed it with a biopellet and GFO reactor.
4 BRS Dosing Pumps with BRS 2 part (Plus mag). The extra peristaltic pump will be a backup I guess.
Avast Swabi
Avast dosing barrels * 3
Avast RKE enabled Skimmate locker
Avast GFO, Carbon, and Biopellet Reactors
150 lbs BRS Pukani Dry LR
100 lbs mixed LR that has been regularly fed and cycling in a rubbermaid for a few months now
A lot I’m probably forgetting…
What I still need to purchase:
Display tank. Not set on dimensions, but approximately 48 – 60 inches L, 24 – 36 inches high, and 16 – 24 inches deep. Preferably Star Fire or Acrylic. Thoughts?
Lumber for stand, bar, and trim for the wall.
Schedule 80 plumbing. I prefer black so I’ll probably order everything from BRS. Anyone know of a local supplier of black schedule 80? I’ll need gate valves, ball valves, one way valves, and everything else associated with a build like this. Because I will be interlinking so many tanks, I’ll need a lot and ordering off BRS makes it difficult since I can’t do it in person or just run out if I forget a piece.
Return pumps. Still not sure if I want external or internal pumps. I’ll have to give this a lot of thought. Any advice on pros and cons of external/internal return pumps would be helpful.
Possibly a genesis systems ATO/ Water Changer with RocV if funds allow
Maybe a Robo snail because I’m lazy and love nerdy gadgets
Anything else that will help me automate as much as possible
Jebao pumps (hopefully ordered shortly through the GB)
Mesh netting as I'd like to keep some jumpers like jawfish
What I’ll need guidance on:
Anything you've read that might be an issue, but definitely plumbing, Rubbermaid sump setup, reactor (plumbing and pump selection), stand build, and skimmer setup. I plan on doing a genesis renew auto water change/ato system when I have the funds and everything is up and running, and will probably need advice on that. Aquascaping is also something I am terrible at. I’ve bought all the parts to create an artificial / combined LR rockwall (i.e. egg crate, magnets, and foam), but I’ll have to do more research and or get help here before I start that project. I may even nix it if I like the rear black and LR aquascaping I end up with. I’ll also take advice on stocking.
Sorry for the long read, but I’m hoping that this can be transferred to the Dedicated Tank Build section once I’m up and running. Thanks for everyone’s help so far, and all the future guidance. I’ll be taking the build slow, but am excited to get this started, and meet more local reefers! Looking forward to Oct 5th at the Avast ERC meet!
Ben
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Man, I stopped by and saw the progress today and boy oh boy, this thing is looking SWEET! Pics do it no justice. The rock work is absolutely amazing. Good job bro.
Agreed... The large display (and the smaller one upstairs), are just incredible. The fit and finish is perfect all around. Very clean setup. Thanks Marcos for being patient with me as I drooled over your tanks and asked a million questions. The RBTA and chromis have settled in perfectly btw.
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Maybe I'm the worst out of everyone, but I do a large mix of rods foods (herbivore, roe, predator blend etc), add saltwater, and keep it at 33 in the fridge open top. Lasts me about 5 days and no problems with skimmer. I know this is OT but is this bad for the food to be defrosted this long? I've been doing it for a little over a month with no issues. Haven't noticed any rotten smells or anything. I got the idea from the automated peristaltic frozen food feeder models on the big forums.
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the zoas look like fire and ice to me... http://www.reefs2go.com/product/C-ZOO-FIRENICE/Fire-and-Ice-Zoanthids-Coral.html?meta=GAW&metacpg=C-ZOO-FIRENICE&gclid=CNjovbvD7LkCFUyd4AodwnMAeg
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How do folks try to feed their goby if he just hangs out in the hole? He's in the spot where I pictured him ending up, but when I used a baster to blow some mysis into the tank I don't think he got any. Also, I have to learn how to use that baster a bit better because I gave the royal gramma a heart attack when the blast of water and foot hit him. He headed for the hills, but came back out and snagged some.
Try some sinking pellet food near where he lives. Worked for me in the beginning when he was more shy.
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I think that it was a Pentair kit. Google acrylic polishing kit aquarium and you'll come across it.
Thanks I'll check it out.
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"If it's an older (10+yrs) tank, it's lived it's life expectancy. Buy a newer one. Older acrylic boxes have this nasty habit of exploding when they get old."
Not sure how old it is. I would guess at least 4+ years. Seems a shame to just throw it out but of course I'm not willing to risk a flood just to save some money. Seems solid though and well constructed besides the noted issues.
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"I have similar "crazing" (little localized stars) on my acrylic frag tank where coralline algae has grown for a long time untouched. The only way that I know of to remove this is to use an acrylic polishing kit comprised of successively finer grades of sand paper and, at the back end, an acrylic polish. While the polish adds clarity when the tank is empty, but I've not found it really necessary for a tank full of water."
Hmmm what kit did you use and or recommend?
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"Truthfully I can't tell, there's so much haze from waterspots and such ...
Is their a way to clean it up and get a better pictuere?"
I'll do my best to clean it up more and take a macro pic with a real camera. Sorry I guess the quality isn't so great.
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I haven't posted any pictures because everyone knows what a Randalls goby and a royal gramma looks like, and other than that it's a glass box full of rocks, sand, algae, snails, and hermits. Everyone's seen that before too, heh.
We've all seen naked women before but that doesn't mean we refuse to see others lol. Because I love my fiance so much I no longer partake.... But tank porn is still allowed!
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Hey guys, I finally cleaned up an old acrylic aquarium I bought a few years back and never got around to cleaning out. It was apparently used in a restaurant until the guy I bought it from got his hands on it and ran it into the ground in his apt. Apparently with little maintenance. It had an archaic under gravel filter set up which I removed, no bulkheads near the pvc just tons of silicone which I scraped off, and some weird black paint or glue. I must have pulled out 20 pounds of dried cement like detritus from this thing.
Anyways, is the first picture crazing? It looks like snowflakes and is unfortunately located in two spots on both sides of the aquarium close to the edges. It's not too pronounced, but this is intended for an in wall setup and I would rather not install something for a build that complicated that isn't perfect.
Also, any Idea what this black paint is near the drilled hole in the bottom. It was applied to a piece of pvc as well as attached to the same drilled hole. Again, their were no bulk heads used and the only thing keeping it from leaking was a pound or so of nasty silicone (and perhaps the 20 pounds of packed in detritus). It's a miracle this guys apartment never flooded.
Finally, I know the black stuff on the sides is some type of black paint. The genius painted the stand black while the aquarium was on it. Any ideas how to safely remove paint from acrylic? Can I use some type of special paint thinner or should I just try very fine sand paper and then use a novus like polishing product? I plan to polish the entire thing anyways if I decide to do anything with it.
Thanks in advance,
Ben
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Id post the link but not sure I'm allowed (newb here). The forum rhymes with ceef rentral and lots of people there say the myth is false.
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Just found a thread on another forum that says this rarely happens and or is a myth. I stand corrected!
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Lol Sry yeah stupid phone. Careful with the cow fish. Cute and awesome... If you ignore the potential deathly toxins they can release upon death ha.
(edit... Apparently this is a myth and or completely untrue, sorry for the misinformation I had always held off on cow fish because of the poison thing but lots of people on the other big board say not to worry)
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Sry triple post
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Sry triple post.
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Btw did you release at night? I usually acclimate new inhabitants in the dark for a less stressful transition. I would guess the turbulent current and lights / new surroundings have him spooked.
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My pistol went right for the sandbed and started digging but that's where I released him from a cup. The goby sat on the bed overnight and teamed up a day later with the pistol. I'm sure they will work themselves out on a day or two.
Ben
monkiboy's 265g build thread
in Dedicated Tank (Build) Forum
Nice and will keep you're tank looking clean and natural. I take it that chord from the jebao wasn't cutting it for you.